The Cal Newport Show

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Ep. 293: Can A.I. Empty My Inbox? Mar 25, 2024

Show notes

Imagine a world in which AI could handle your email inbox on your behalf. No more checking for new messages every five minutes. No more worries that people need you. No more exhausting cognitive context shifts. In this episode, Cal explores how close cutting-edge AI models are to achieving this goal, including using ChatGPT to help him answer some real email. He then dives into his latest article for The New Yorker, which explains the key technical obstacle to fully automated email and how it might be solved. This is followed by reader questions and a look at something interesting.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link:
bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: Can A.I. Empty My Inbox? [4:33]
- Should I continue to study programming if AI will eventually replace software jobs? [44:40]
- Is it bad to use ChatGPT to assist with your writing? [49:22]
- How do I reclaim my workspace for Deep Work? [55:24]
- How do I decide what to do on my scheduled mini-breaks at work? [1:00:11]
- CALL: Heidegger’s view on technology [1:02:48]
- CALL: Seasonality with a partner and kids [1:09:11]
CASE STUDY: A Silicon Valley Chief of Staff balancing work and ego [1:20:07]
Something Interesting: General Grant’s Slow Productivity [1:30:08]
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity”at calnewport.com/slow
newyorker.com/science/annals-of-artificial-intelligence/can-an-ai-make-plans

Thanks to our Sponsors:

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 292: Single-Purpose Notebooks Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

On his recent book tour, Cal found great success using a small notebook dedicated to developing a single idea. In this episode, he explores this “single-purpose notebook” strategy, identifying when it makes sense and why it works. He also takes listener questions about his new book, “Slow Productivity,” and reacts to a recent article about TikTok’s stumbles.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: Single-Purpose Notebooks [5:02]
- If “pseudo-productivity” isn’t effective, why is it so common? [27:07]
- Can you explain the difference between limiting missions, projects, and daily goals? [34:59]
- Should everyone buy a $50 notebook? [39:21]
- How does “Slow Productivity” relate to mental models and first principles? [48:12]
- Should I read your new book slowly? [52:44]
- CALL: Does Cal ever stress about work? [55:24]
CASE STUDY: Applying lifestyle-centric career planning [1:00:31]
SOMETHING INTERESTING: TikTok Falters [1:08:56]
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow

Thanks to our Sponsors:

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 291: Do Better, Do Less Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

What does the story of the rise of the singing superstar Jewel teach us about escaping busyness in our knowledge work jobs? In this episode, Cal makes the connection, extracting a key lesson about quality as an engine for slowness, and then providing concrete advice and examples for applying this lesson to your own professional life. Also: listener questions and the books Cal read in February.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: Doing Better, Do Less [5:00]
- Is my job too hard? [38:25]
- How do I sell myself better? [42:52]
- How do I convince myself to do actual hard work? [45:42]
- How do I find time to get better if I'm busy? [48:46]
- What is the values plan? [53:23]
The 5 books Cal read in February 2024 [1:01:45]
The Sabbath (AJ Heschel)
Making Movies (Sidney Lumet)
Killer of the Flower Moon (David Grann)
Orthodoxy (G.K. Chesterton)
The Good Shepherd (CA Forestor)
Links:
FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”:
calnewport.com/slow
Thanks to our Sponsors:
shopify.com/deep
drinklmnt.com/deep
mybodytutor.com
blinkist.com/deep
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 290: Financing the Deep Life (w/ Noah Kagan) Mar 04, 2024

Show notes

One of the most common strategies for achieving a powerful ideal lifestyle vision is to leverage entrepreneurial activities to find a stable source of income that allows autonomy and flexibility. To help understand how to succeed in such ventures, Cal interviews the entrepreneur and author Noah Kagan about his new book, "The Million Dollar Weekend." Recording on the road as part of his book tour for "Slow Productivity," Cal also shares some lessons about what he's been observing.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
INTERVIEW: Marketing guru Noah Kagan [11:06]
Links:
Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”:
peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/
FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”:
calnewport.com/slow
Thanks to our Sponsors:
This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/deepquestions
mauinuivenison.com/deepquestions
zocdoc.com/deep
expressvpn.com/deep
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 289: The Email Catastrophe Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

How did we end up tyrannized by our inboxes? How is this related to Tyrannosaurus? What was it like working at a high-tech company at the exact moment email was introduced? In this episode, Cal weaves together all these questions into a story about the unexpected ways technology impacts our lives and what we can do after the fact to make things better.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: https://youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: The Email Catastrophe [3:47]
- How do I deal with email overload in a government job? [45:34]
- How do I deal with an employer who demands constant responsiveness?[55:36]
- How can I concentrate when coding when I need to use my web browser? [58:27]
- How do I overcome my fear of missing important emails? [1:02:35]
- CALL: Can slow productivity work for an academic? [1:06:38]
CAL REACTS: Reader Comments on his NYT Op-Ed [1:17:47]
Links:

newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/08/the-day-the-dinosaurs-died
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1817407116
newyorker.com/magazine/1994/01/10/e-mail-from-bill-gates
blog.rescuetime.com/communication-multitasking-switches/
nytimes.com/2024/02/16/opinion/creative-work-productivity-seasonality.html
Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”: peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/
FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”: calnewport.com/slow

Thanks to our Sponsors:

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 288: Confronting Your Phone Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

We’ve become so used to our phones in our lives that we’ve stopped realizing how arbitrary and unusual the content we’re watching really has become. In this episode, Cal looks closer at what we’re really spending time doing on our phones, then provides step-by-step instructions for healing this relationship.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: Confronting Your Phone [4:30]
- What does Cal think about Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves To Death”? [28:35]
- Can you pursue high quality leisure after a day filled with deep work? [33:14]
- Can commercial breaks be used for high quality leisure? [37:24]
- Will digital minimalism work in an age of augmented reality? [40:34]
- How can a full time YouTuber practice digital minimalism? [46:53]
-CALL: How to share content online? [52:38]
CASE STUDY: Cost-benefit analysis of technology usage [1:00:39]
CAL REACTS: J. R. R. Tolkien’s Search for Depth [1:06:43]
Links:
twitter.com/explore/tabs/trending
instagram.com/explore/tags/popular/?hl=en
tiktok.com/foryou?lang=en
newcriterion.com/blogs/dispatch/the-consolations-of-fantasy
Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”:
peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/
FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”:
calnewport.com/slow
Thanks to our Sponsors:
ladderlife.com/deep
mybodytutor.com
rhone.com/cal
mintmobile.com/deep
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 287: Minimalist Notes Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

A deep life requires that you encounter and make sense of a large amount of incoming information, from narrow data relevant to a professional project, to broad insights into your purpose. How do you keep track of all of this? In this episode, Cal proposes a minimalist approach aimed at minimizing the friction required to keep tabs on what matters.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: How to track information that matters [2:55]
- How should I make use of non-cognitive time? [27:37]
- Can people with ADHD become better at learning? [32:49]
- What does Cal think of Gloria Mark’s “4 myths of attention span”? [36:31]
- How can I concentrate on my dissertation when I have a full-time job? [47:04]
- How can I stop wasting my afternoon time blocks? [53:20]
- CALL: How can I better organize my idea notebooks? [1:01:38]
CASE STUDY: Avoiding the hyperactive hive mind to work more efficiently [1:05:46]
CAL REACTS: Is it bad to be slow? [1:13:46]
Links:
dailystoic.com/try-not-to-be-so-slow/
gloriamark.com/attention-span
Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”:
peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/
FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”:
calnewport.com/slow
Thanks to our Sponsors:
grammarly.com/podcast
drinklmnt.com/deep
cozyearth.com (promo code “cal”)
expressvpn.com/deep
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 286: Rethinking Self Help Feb 05, 2024

Show notes

A key step in cultivating a deep life is reflecting on what matters to you and the best strategies for pursuing it. This, in turn, requires that you engage in the consumption of some manner of self help. It’s here that many people sell themselves short, limiting this intake to short videos and the occasional advice guide. In today’s episode, Cal talks about cultivating a much richer approach to self-help in which you’re able to take in wisdom from a variety of sources of various levels of sophistication.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: Rethinking Self Help [3:21]
- How can I prevent hard tasks from derailing my productivity systems? [38:47]
- Should I get ahead in my career with a project that I hate? [47:54]
- How can I make progress on my novel when my day job drains me? [52:39]
- Is there such a thing as too much deep work? [59:32]
- CALL: Will short deep work sessions work to write effectively? [1:12:17]
CASE STUDY: Reducing stress with slow productivity [1:18:40]
The 5 Books Cal Read in January 2024 [1:30:22]
Links:
https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/
FREE Download for “Slow Productivity”: www.calnewport.com/slow
Thanks to our Sponsors:
https://www.grammarly.com/podcast
https://www.drinklmnt.com/deep
https://www.shopify.com/deep
This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/deepquestions
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 285: The Productivity Paradox Jan 29, 2024

Show notes

One of the more interesting realities of people who live remarkable lives is that they are often much less busy than the rest of us. In this episode, Cal explores three ideas that help explain why this is true, then explains how we can use these ideas to reduce our own workloads.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: The Productivity Paradox [7:31]
- How does a weekly plan work? [32:26]
- Do errands or reading count toward fixed schedule productivity? [36:55]
- How should a graduate embrace slow productivity? [40:11]
- If I embrace slow productivity, how can I be sure I’m doing enough? [41:54]
- Did Cal follow Slow Productivity in his 20’s? [47:45]
- CALL: Uprooting a good planning system? [53:23]
CASE STUDY: Playing video games with intention [58:05]
CAL REACTS: How to Have a Productive Year [1:06:34]
Links:
calnewport.com/if-youre-busy-youre-doing-something-wrong-the-surprisingly-relaxed-lives-of-elite-achievers/
newyorker.com/culture/office-space/how-to-have-a-more-productive-year
FREE Download for “Slow Productivity”: calnewport.com/slow
Thanks to our Sponsors:
mauinuivenison.com/deepquestions
blinkist.com/deep
moshlife.com/deep
policygenius.com/deepquestions
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 284: Feel-Good Productivity (w/ Ali Abdaal) Jan 22, 2024

Show notes

Call talks with Ali Abdaal about his journey from doctor to YouTube sensation, and then dives deep into Ali’s new book, “Feel-Good Productivity,” and the possibilities of making accomplishment something enjoyable.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
INTERVIEW: YouTube Star Ali Abdaal [3:41]
Cal Reacts: Dissecting Ali’s YouTube career path [1:32:27]
Links:
FREE download for “Slow Productivity”: calnewport.com/slow
Thanks to our Sponsors:
expressvpn.com/deep
rhone.com/cal
shopify.com/deep
notion.com/cal
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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